Kohaku's Path
by Lizzy Lee
Summary: About Sango, Kohaku and custom characters Sariko and Ishikyou.


Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, but I do own Sariko and Ishikyo.

Last Edited: July 20, 2009 (Majorly edited it, took out stupid parts, took out typos and actually read it over. Hope it makes more sense and is actually a good story now.)

~~ Kohaku's Path ~~

    A young boy, wearing black demon slayer armor with green plates, about the age of twelve, ran down the deserted path. His short, black hair tied back in a pony-tail moved along with him as it blew in the wind. Noticing a small, flat, torn sheet of paper laying in the path in front of him, he stopped and knelt down. He reached a cloth covered hand to grab the paper and noticed it had his name on it. He held it tightly in his hands as he read it silently to himself, mouthing the words as he read them.

    _Oh Kohaku... What have I done to deserve this? What have you done? Why can't you be here with me as you are supposed to? No matter what happens, dear brother, always remember I love you dearly. I know absolutely none of this is your fault, and you cannot be blamed for Naraku's wrongs. Someday, Kohaku, I promise I will save you and free you of Naraku's control. Just wait for me, brother, and you'll see. I won't break my promise, as it is for your life, and I would never destroy that. You, after all that you have been through, do not deserve anymore of this. But you never really deserved any of it. You only deserve my love and to be safe at home with our village, which should still be standing. But trust me; Naraku will pay for all he has done. To not only us, but to Miroku, InuYasha, and Kikyou. Still, Kohaku, I love you, always and forever. Please, trust me. I know that deep down inside you your heart beats freely, and that heart knows who I am to you. Trust your heart, Kohaku, for it is the only thing you have that is free for now.  
    Love,  
    Sango  
_  
    His brown eyes were glossy and a few tears fell down his cheek. He set the letter down on the hard, cold ground from where he found it. He had been running away from Naraku, free from his control, but had nowhere to run to. Knowing this woman cared for him, he got up and thought for a moment as to where or who she could be. If he wanted to stay safe, Kohaku had to find this woman... His sister.

    _Kohaku, I'll always be here with you. You can't get rid of me. No matter what!_ a young brunette had said to him once. He thought for a moment to try and remember when she had said that, and who she was. _'I was trying to stop her from following me, that's it. She followed me that whole entire day, only continuing because it had bugged me,'_ he thought.

    _Sister, would you please stop following me? Don't you have anything better to do?_ he had said to her in attempt to end her doings. _'So she really is my sister…'_ He then snapped out of his memory when he heard a voice from behind. It was a familiar, low woman's voice. It called for him.

    "Kohaku, where are you going?" the voice said. Kohaku turned around only to see Kagura, the sorceress of wind. She came up close behind him and peered over his shoulder. "What is that there on the ground?" She kneeled down and reached for it. Kohaku ripped it out of her hands and slid it into a pocket.

    "Nothing, Kagura. Why do you follow me?"

    "I was curious to see where it was you would go. Away from Naraku, I assume." She paused for a response from Kohaku, but since none was said, so she continued. "I really don't blame you. Actually, I was leaving him myself when I found you. That is when I decided to follow you," she stated, matter-of-factly.

    Kohaku just nodded, then turned away from Kagura to face the way in which Naraku's castle stood, him inside of it, brewing some evil plan to kill InuYasha and his companions. "Why is it that Naraku has a need to kill Sango?" he asked quietly. He said her name as if he did not know it as well as he should.

    "Yes, the demon slayer who shares the same parents... Not even he could answer that one. He has no personal connection to any demon slayer, it's just their job. Using you to torture her is, I'm assuming, just out of his boredom."

    Kohaku turned to face Kagura after her words. He stared at her, confused as to what she meant by, "the demon slayer who shares the same parents."

    "Yes, she is your sister, Kohaku. Do you not know that?" she questioned, shocked by his actions. "Did you not read that note? I saw it was addressed to you, and signed by her."

    "She said that loves me, and that she promises to save me of Naraku's control. Her name has always meant something to me as if I should know her better, but I could never figure what it meant. Every now and then, I would remember memories of our younger years. I suppose-"

    "You suppose what? Naraku? Yeah, it's his fault, Kohaku. He's been controlling your thoughts, and erased most. He's the reason you cannot remember who she is but you do know you must kill her. But I could care less, deal with it yourself," she added coldly. She then took the feather from her hair and threw it up in the air to transform into a larger feather on which she rode off. Kohaku barely noticed her departure.

    He snapped out of his thoughts when he suddenly heard a noise close to him. It sounded like leaves crackling to the touch of a demon's foot. i'What is that?'/i he thought to himself. Suddenly, he saw bright flames and heard the grand roar of a feline demon. Out from behind the thick forest came the demon charging at Kohaku, unaware that he was free of Naraku's control.

    The demon had Kohaku pinned to the ground when a female's voice called from behind. "Kilala, what is it? Who's there?" she said. The woman walked past the demon to see who it was she was attacking. She gasped and stumbled backwards, dropping her Hiraikotsu, the giant boomerang. Her right hand went to her mouth, still in shock. "Ko..ha..ku..." she managed to say.

    Kilala backed away to let the young boy stand. He thought for a moment, trying to figure who the figure was, for it was getting dark outside and she was almost covered in shadows. His eyes then widened, scared of who it was. He took a couple steps back away from the woman.

    Seeing that it was who she thought it was, the woman spoke again. "Kohaku... You... are not in aggression. Are you... free?"

    With tears welling in his dark brown eyes, Kohaku turned and ran, knowing she was the sister he supposedly had. "Leave me be, I don't want to take the chances of hurting you," he called to her, still running. She began to run after him, shocked by his actions.

    "Kohaku! Wait... Please," she cried out to him. When tears began forming in her eyes, she slowed down. Giving up on the chase, Sango turned around to retrieve the weapon she left laying on the ground.

    "Kilala, where is it?" she asked the feline demon when she arrived at the place she dropped her weapon. "That's strange. Where could it have gone?" It was then that she suddenly heard a low demon's laugh as it faded away. "Damn it, Naraku. Someday, I promise you I will get my brother back. And I will kill you, Naraku, for all you've done to Kohaku, Miroku, InuYasha, Kikyou, and my village. I promise."

    Letting her emotions catch up to her, she collapsed onto her knees, letting herself cry for a moment. She then looked over to her feline demon. "Kilala, maybe we should just go find Miroku," she said, standing. Kilala began to run and jumped high up in the air after Sango climbed onto her back. "Find Miroku, Kilala. Forget about Naraku and Kohaku for right now." Kilala growled in agreement and searched for the monk.

    Kohaku continued running until he reached a small pond lit up by the moon's reflected light. He kneeled next to it and gazed deeply at the amazing view of the beautiful pond with water trickling down rocks to a lower pond beyond a small hill. He listened intensely to the soft, peaceful sound of the water's path down the rock.

    _'It sadly reminds me of a night similar to this. Sister and I were sitting by this very pond and watching the fireflies glow as they flew around us. That was the night she taught me to catch one. Kilala was chasing them around when I caught two.'_

    A single firefly flew in front of him, glowing brightly. Kohaku placed his hands out in front of him, as if ready to clap and the firefly flew away. In curiosity, it came back, and Kohaku clapped his hands shut. He peered inside his hands, keeping them tight, and checked to see that the insect was there. To his surprise, it was, still glowing. He smiled and released it.

    _'You were right, sister. They do come back to your hands out of curiosity,'_ he thought. Thinking of Sango and times they had together, he shifted into a comfortable position.

    Laying down with his arm behind his head, Kohaku fell into a slight sleep, dreaming of the beautiful scene and of his dear sister. Sweet dreams filled his head, calming him of all his fears. After those dreams, he dreamt of the night he died, and how he killed all the other demonslayers and almost killed Sango. Then, memories of all the tasks Naraku sent him on came into his head. All the innocent people he killed, all the times he ran into InuYasha and his companions...

    Kilala found the scent belonging to the monk and followed it. She landed by the village in which he was spending the night. Sango jumped off her pet and Kilala transformed back into a small kitten.

    Miroku, still awake and thinking of his dear lover, sensed a demon he recognized nearby. He left the room and quietly made his way down the inn's hall and out the door. He searched for where the demon was and found Sango standing there with Kilala in her arms. He then ran up to her and took her tight in his arms. "Sango..." he said softly, holding her tight as if he never planed to let her go.

    "Miroku..." she cried.

    "Shh... It's okay. What happened?"

    "Kohaku..."

    "Oh, Sango. Did he try-"

    "He was free of Naraku's control. But he ran and said he didn't want to take the chance of hurting me." He lighted on his grip and lifted her chin with his cursed hand and moved his head closer. He lightly touched her lips with his and kissed her gently. Kilala jumped down and ran into the building from which Miroku came and snuggled into the sheets on his bed mat.

    Returning the kiss intimately, Sango pulled herself closer to the love of her life as Miroku wrapped his arms around her. She returned the hug as she deeply and romantically kissed him. They stopped for a moment as Miroku knelt down to pick her up. He held her in his arms and carried her back to his room as she snuggled into his white undershirt.

    Once inside the room of the inn Miroku had rented for the night, Sango untied the belt holding her katana to her side. She set it down by Miroku's staff which was past the bed mat on the floor. Sango then slipped her pink dress and green long skirt over her demon slayer armor. After uniting the ribbon holding her long dark brown hair in a high pony tail, she placed the pink ribbon on the floor next to Miroku's robe. She slipped under the covers next to Miroku, who was waiting for her, his tender love and care inviting her to come closer. She snuggled up to him and he placed an arm over her, the other one under her, and pulled her closer. Soon they fell asleep with Kilala snuggled on the pillow next to Sango's head.

    The next morning, the demon slayer woke to the bright morning sun shining in her eyes. Feeling alone, she looked to the other side of the bed mat for Miroku. To her surprise, he wasn't laying next to her as he was when they fell asleep. Panicking, she looked over to where her katana and his staff were, but both were gone. Remembering she placed her ribbon by his clothes, she looked to the other side of the room to see more vacancy. Only her and Kilala remained the the entire room.

    "We should wake him. It's only fair to give him a warning we're here..." A young girl with dark brown hair and eyes knelt next to Kohaku as he slept. She wore a short, light pink kimono, and looked about the age of thirteen. "Come on, please?" she asked, her voice showing her age.

    "Would you stop? Get away from him," replied the other girl in a whisper, her voice more mature. She had long, black hair, black dog ears, and gold-colored eyes. She wore a red kimono that reached just above her knees. She was around the age of twelve. "He has a stench similar to you and Sango."

    "Then why can't I wake him up? I'd like to know who he is!" the first girl nagged, standing next to the her hanyou friend.

    Kohaku's eyes blinked a few times as he sleepily sat up. He stared, frightened, at the two girls. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" he demanded, wide awake.

    "Calm down, stupid-"

    "Ishikyou!" the human scolded, glaring at the dog demon. She turned towards Kohaku. "What she means to say is don't worry, we won't hurt you."

    "No, I said what I mean, Sariko. Who are you, first. She's dying to know."

    Kohaku looked over at Sariko with caution. "I am Kohaku... Why do you care?" Sariko's mouth dropped in amazement. Kohaku stood up and looked to Ishikyou for an answer.

    "_Kohaku_? As in Sango's little brother, Kohaku? Aren't you supposed to be dead or something?" Ishikyou asked without care.

    Kohaku, having nothing to really say, just stared at Sariko, confused. "Who _are_ you?"

    "Mother..." Sariko whimpered. "That's why I don't know you..." she said quietly.

    "She's Sariko and I'm Ishikyou. We... are not from your time. Your sister is her mother."

    Kohaku took a step back, not sure of what to think. "And you expect me to believe this? You're probably just another one of Naraku's attempts to hurt me more..." he trailed off, trying to avoid memories. Not wanting to get involved with these two girls any long, Kohaku turned around and took off.

    Back at the inn, Sango searched the entire building, then the village for any sign of Miroku, Naraku, or her brother. After finding nothing, she looked desperately at her feline companion.

    "Kilala, I need you to help me find Miroku. He's gone. Please?" After meowing once, the cat transformed back into her large fiery form, and Sango climbed up onto her again. The demon took a running jump into the sky, sniffing for Miroku's scent. She then soon found a scent similar to both Miroku and Sango, a scent similar to InuYasha and Kikyou, and the scent of Sango's younger brother. Kilala followed the trail to the hanyou and humans, and landed a good distance away.

    "Wait, Kohaku!" Sariko finally said. She ran up to him as he turned around. She threw her arms around him and embraced him warmly. "I know this is a lot for you to take in, and I don't want to say too much... I just don't understand why Mother never told me about you."

    Kohaku said nothing, but felt the warmth of her body. He returned the hug weakly, still shocked at the thought of seeing his sister's future daughter. He felt a longing love from Sariko, almost as if she wanted to know him better.

    Ishikyo sniffed a few times, picking up the scent of a demon. "Hey, I smell a demon. And Sango," the hanyou stated quickly.

    Sariko, her heart racing, stepped back next to Ishikyou. Feeling as if she was still too close, she turned to run. Shocked, Ishikyou ran after her to try to figure out what was with Sariko's actions. Kohaku shook his head, glad Sariko was gone. She was supposedly family, but the fact that he barely knew his sister made Sariko less welcome to him. He turned his head and found Kilala coming into view, Sango on her back. Kohaku took a couple steps backwards, unsure if he should stay, leave, or go find Sariko.

    Sango jumped off Kilala's back and ran towards Kohaku. She took him in her arms and embraced him tightly and warmly. After hugging Sariko, he noticed she had the same warmth as her mother. The love he felt from Sango was a familiar love, an unbreakable sibling love.

    Feeling unsafe about her, he did not return the hug, but forced himself away.

    "Kohaku, please..." she begged. "I love-"

    "I know. I found your letter. You love me. You promise to keep me away from Naraku forever. But it's not that easy."

    "Kohaku"

    "I don't care. I know you don't think it's my fault. But Naraku has done too much to me for it just to be okay. Plus, I'm not always gonna be here, and you'll have a fine life with Miroku without me," he adds, thinking of Sariko.

    "Kohaku... Why do you say that? I love you and I will never let you go. I prom-"

    "I didn't pull these facts from nowhere. I was told the shard from my back will be removed."

    "Who told you these lies? I would never let that happen to you, you are my little brother. No matter who is in my life, you always come first."

    Broken inside, Kohaku turned around and ran in the direction Sariko did. _'I've gotta leave her. She might be my sister, and I might still love her as much as she says she loves me, but I know Sariko wasn't lying. Her embrace felt too much like Sango. She was too... different to be from this time. Maybe she can explain to her future mother what happens.'_

    Not ready or willing to let Kohaku leave her once she's gotten him, Sango ran after her torn brother, torn on the inside herself. '_Kohaku... why can't you just let me protect you? Who has told you all this about our future? No matter how happy Miroku and I are, I'd never let Kohaku go. I don't care how important that damn jewel is, Kohaku always comes first to me.'_

    Kohaku found Sariko a few miles away. Kohaku stopped running and walked up to the two girls. "Sariko," he said shyly. "Tell me how and why the shard was removed from my back. Who did it?"

    Sariko, her eyes red from crying, looked up at Kohaku. Just as she was about to explain what she knew, she heard a noise. Ishikyou sniffed out a few demons. An arrow, shot by one of the demons, pierced into Sariko's arm. She collapsed from the pain as Kohaku caught her from her fall. Ishikyou unsheathed her sword and held it as it transformed, similar to InuYasha's Tetsuiga.

    "Kohaku, I'll need your help," she demanded. Kohaku gently placed Sariko against a tree, out of reach of the demons, before reaching for his chained sickle. He then runs back to Ishikyou to fend off the demons that ambushed them.

    Sango jumped back onto her feline demon. "For the moment, Kilala, find Miroku, please." The demon growled in agreement and takes off, running. She soon jumped into the sky and flew high above the tree tops, sniffing for Sango's partner.

    After a long and boring journey for Sango, Kilala landed in front of a deep cave once inhabited by demons. Sango, longing for Miroku, hopped off of Kilala's back, and cautiously took small steps into the black cave, Kilala right behind her. As the demon walked into the cave, the flames on her feet lit the darkened area up.

    "Sango... You have come..." a familiar quiet but high-toned voice called. Sango frantically searched the area for the small demon. Kilala began to growl. As a small girl dressed in a white robe, with white two white flowers on either side of her head in her white hair, came into view, Sango stumbled back into her feline companion.

    "Damnit," Sango cursed under her breath. She tore at the demon armor under her dress, and took out the small knife she kept there for emergencies. She charged at the child demon, hoping to injure the white girl before she took her soul. Her knife slices into the mirror, but the attack is reflected, and Sango is sent to collide with the cold, hard ground.

    The demon shifted her hands to change the position of them as Kilala charged toward the small child. Kilala, not there quick enough, tackled the demon just after she said, "Your soul is mine." Just after getting to her feet, Sango's eyes became blank as her soul was absorbed into the mirror. She dropped to her knees as the demon struggled to get the large feline off of her. When Kilala turned to look at Sango, the child pushed her off and stepped quietly and quickly into the darkness.

    Ishikyou lunged her sword at the demon facing her as Kohaku stabbed another in the stomach. He kicked it down and stabbed it once again, this time killing it. Ishikyou then noticed a figure which did not look like a demon, but a human instead. "Kohaku... Kohaku, look," she called to him. Kohaku swirled his body to face the girl and saw the human.

    For a brief minute, he stood there, staring at his sister, noticing her blank eyes. Realizing that is how he appeared to her many times, he felt the pain she must have always had. Sango didn't move, but continued to watch Kohaku, the only thought in her mind being the task to kill him. Kohaku realized that, and almost wanted to tear the shard from his back to keep this from happening to Sango again.

    After the final demon dropped, Ishikyou stabbed her sword into the body of her victim and looked over to Kohaku. "Are you ok? Want me to-" she started, looking at Sango.

    "No... This is personal. Take Sariko to safety and try to find a way to heal her. I'll be right over," he finished. With no time to say more, Sango jumped and landed behind him. He swirled around and managed to block her katana with his own. She flung his katana out of the way as he built up the strength to knock her down, and kneeled on top of his sister with the point of his sickle at her neck.

    "S... Sango, snap out of it. I know you're stronger than this. It's not like you to act like this and reverse our roles. You are the one who is supposed to be free, and I should be the one possessed," he yelled at her. She still showed no sign of emotion, but just stared back at him with blank brown eyes. A single tear fell down his cheek, wishing he hadn't let her go when she stopped him.

    Sango kicked Kohaku off and quickly got to her feet. "Damnit..." he cursed. Sango once again charged for Kohaku, ready to strike him once she was close enough. Kohaku jumped over her as she passed underneath him, and once he landed, he took off. Not really caring where he was heading to, he ran as fast as he could, Sango close behind him.

    Before long, Kohaku was stopped by two demons, one being the white demon that took his sister's soul, the other being her older sister, Kagura. He quickly unsheathed his sword, having sheathed it while running. "Kanna..." he half growled. "You... Your mirror... You did this to Sango!" he yelled at her accusingly.

    "And your soul will be mine also," she called, her voice still quiet but high.

    "Like hell it will be!" Kohaku screamed. He charged at Kanna as Kagura opened the red fan she was holding and covered the lower half of her face with it.

    "Dance of the Dragon!" she yelled, waving her fan with anger towards Kohaku. Whirling winds rushed into Kohaku, forcefully knocking him down. Thrown back a few feet, he tried to stand, although he was unable to the first try. Once to his feet, he charged at the wind sorceress with full speed and jumped to land in front of her, the blade of his sword slicing down her stomach. With a painful cry, she jumped back, and into the air.

    As she began to swipe her fan once again to attack, an arrow punctured into her left leg, sending her to straight into the ground. Landing on the wounded leg, she brutally collapsed. His heart pounding, Kohaku turned to see the face of the still-unfamiliar female hanyou behind him, a bow in her possession.

    "Stupid, have you forgotten about the white one?" Ishikyou yelled at him, readying another arrow.

    Kohaku swore under his breath when he realized he hadn't been paying attention to Kanna. He turned to face the small demon just as she shifted the position of her hands, rotating her mirror at a ninety-degree angle. As she was about to take the soul of Ishikyou, Kohaku pulled the mirror out of her hands with his sickle, though before it dropped, she caught it. He then ran up to her, his katana still in his possession, ready to attack. Defenseless and unable to protect herself from Kohaku, Kanna stepped back, fading into the darkness. "Damnit..." he swore to himself. Kohaku ran after her, hoping to find her, though knowing he wouldn't.

    After a short while, Kohaku gave up the search. He slid against a tree, not knowing what to do next. After another short while, he heard footsteps, and stood defensively. Realizing it was his sister again, he almost fell apart just standing there. "I was wondering where you ran off to..." he whispered, though not really to her.

    Sango, still showing absolutely no emotion, raised her arm, her Hiraikotsu clutched in her hand tightly. He pulled his katana out of its sheath, and charged at her. His sword was forcefully pulled out of his hand as Sango slammed her Hiraikotsu into it. She quickly dropped the giant weapon and pulled out her own katana as Kohaku grabbed his chained sickle. He wrapped his chain around the hilt of her sword, and as he dove at her, he pulled it out of her grasp. He let go of the sickle, grabbing onto the katana as he kneeled on his sister's chest, as she's done to him in the past.

    With tears falling from his eyes onto Sango's armor, Kohaku raised his arm with the point of her katana aimed directly at her heart. He closed his eyes, wishing everything would just disappear.

    As if someone had pushed his arm, Kohaku jabbed the blade into his sister's chest, piercing into her heart. A few drops of blood leaked past the sword and down her body, staining the black fabric. Tears flew down Kohaku's cheeks, realizing what he had just done. _'How could I have actually done this? The task Naraku always sent me to do I have completed, but on my own free will. Have I actually become a heartless killer?'_

    His tears rapidly streamed down his wet, saddened face. Blood covered the body, but was leaking out at a slow pace. Kohaku, knowing what it was like to be lifeless and alone, did not want to leave his sister, or at least let her leave this world alone. Without thought, Kohaku reached for his sickle, jabbed it into his own back, about where the jewel shard keeping him alive was located. He reached a shaking hand to his wound, and pulled the bloody shard out, causing him to fall onto his lifeless sister. Kohaku inhaled, realizing that was his last time, then painfully shut his eyes.

    "Kohaku!" Sariko cried, her voice sharp and piercing. She ran up to the lifeless boy, realizing he had killed the past of her mother, then committed suicide. She noticed a bloody shard clutched in the equally bloody hand of Kohaku. Tears streamed down her face as she stared at the painful and bloody scene. "Kohaku... It was not Mother who killed you. It was you who killed her and yourself. You removed your own shard. But then if this is true, then how am I alive? I know this woman gave birth to me, I'm sure of it. But she's here, in front of me, dead. Nothing makes sense here..."

    Just then, Sariko turned around to face her time traveling companion. "Ishikyou... They are both dead," she whispered.

    "Sariko... Don't be too hard on yourself. Obviously something happens and she becomes healthy in time. Maybe someone puts the shard in her back. Perhaps Miroku? If you'd like, we could see what happens. We could stay and wait, or leave this day and travel ahead. But I'd just leave and go back home if I were you. They probably need us there." Ishikyou tried to comfort her, but then looked down and realized Sariko wasn't even listening. She had placed the shard into her mother's back, realizing she was the one who did so to make her future exist.

    "Ishikyou, let's go. She should be waking soon, and I don't want to be here." Before Sariko stood, she kissed the lifeless boy's cheek for the first and last time ever. With tears flowing down her face once again, she turned and ran painfully towards the well that brought her to this time.

~~ By Lizzy Lee ~~


End file.
